In a T20-International on Pitch Number Three at Newlands, South Africa smashed 165 for four and the West Indies easily reached that competitive total thanks to a whirlwind 77 by Chris Gayle. If any member of The Unlimited Titans team wishes to repeat the heroics of Gayle on the same pitch in the final of the Momentum One Day Cup competition on Friday, they will have to dispatch Robin Peterson, senior stalwart of the hosts, the Nashua Cape Cobras.

And Peterson has proved a very wily and stubborn opponent indeed in the build-up to the Momentum One Day Cup final. The national left-arm spinner has taken 18 wickets at an average of 17.94 in nine matches, and has comfortably been the best bowler in the competition. He has been a premier reason why the Cobras have taken wickets in the middle period to restrict teams. Paul Adams, the Cobras coach, said Peterson’s change of pace and his ability to read opposite batsmen and decipher their moves, have been his greatest assets. Peterson has the ability to bowl the Carrom ball (the ball is released by flicking it between the thumb and the bent middle finger in order to impart spin) and spins in the opposite direction to the customary delivery that moves away from the right-handed batsman. The experienced Peterson utilized that delivery in the so-called Boxing Day test against India at Kingsmead to dislodge Zaheer Khan. “He has hardly used the Carrom ball in the Momentum One Day Cup campaign,” Adams said. “But he has got it in his armoury.” Peterson is by nature an attacker and has used close-in fielders in order to take wickets. It was a factor in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge, and also in the Momentum One Day Cup competition. The South African spinner removed five for 25 against the Chevrolet Warriors in Port Elizabeth on a turning wicket. The evenly paced wicket at Newlands might not be a perfect foil for Peterson and SA Engelbrecht on Friday, but if Peterson is able to strike early on against an attacking Titans top-order, he could repeat the performance that had the Warriors in turmoil at St. George’s Park.